ISD-V4 Vanguard
The ISD-V4 Vanguard is a sniper rifle used by soldiers of the USIF. History Capitalizing on the success of the USIF Powered Armor program, Imperial weapon developers began producing the ISD-V4 Vanguard to meet the needs of all Armored Infantry weapon requirements which involve power, accuracy, and efficiency. The Vanguard was thus developed and performed outstandingly in various inhospitable worlds such as arid New Madrid, frigid Boreas, or volcanic Prometheus. The Arm of Orion later reverse-engineered the Vanguard for use in the Outer Rim War. Following the crushing USIF victory in the Outer Rim War, a newer model of the Vanguard was issued to all Armored Infantry soldiers. This improved model would serve them well in battles against a newer enemy- the Orion's Spear. Design The Vanguard provides unparalleled accuracy and stopping power against distant targets. Utilizing Kinetic Mass Drivers to propel the round and using advanced optical technology (which interfaces directly to the soldier’s armor), its extraordinary accuracy and armor-penetrating ability makes it an outstanding anti-infantry weapon. The weapon is difficult to wield, but it is nonetheless devastating against shields as well as armor and has a substantial effective range. The Vanguard fires a large .85 caliber rail slug, making it suitable for penetrating everything from shielded, power armored infantry to assault vehicles. Upgrade Newer Vanguard models retain the same basic features as the older ones, such as the rail propulsion system, battery clips, and advanced optical technology. The ammunition also retains the same Mk2 electromagnetic jacketing system that shreds through shielding and armor. However, newer models feature a sleeker aesthetic design, larger scope with more precise targeting systems, higher rate of fire, and the ability to be modified with different types of ammunition. The most significant changes to the new models are the larger caliber rail rounds they fire- from the .85 caliber slug in previous models upgunned to a massive 1.20 caliber rail slug- and the more efficient battery clips, allowing a soldier to carry sixty-three rounds battery-wise instead of fifty rounds in older models. Gameplay The sniper rifle, being a long range weapon, is used best by soldiers that can easily find a hiding spot or high vantage point. These high points can easily be reached via the burn-in at the start of a match, or by flying to the desired spot via the jetpack at later points. Trivia *The weapon appears to be based on the Barrett Firearms Manufacturing M107 anti-materiel rifle. *.85 caliber converts to an incredible 21.59 millimeters. The world's largest contemporary sniper rifle, the NTW-20, is only 20mm while having a much lower muzzle velocity (due to the explosive charge firing mechanism employed, instead of the highly advanced rail propulsion systems and computerized targeting aids found in the Section 8 game series), and cannons between 20 and 30mm are used as the primary armament of infantry fighting vehicles, fighters, and helicopter gunships. This may be because the weapon is used against armor that could survive plummeting from ten thousand feet in the air unscathed. Thus, the recoil would be tremendous if the user were not in Power Armor. Category:USIF Weapons